VOICE OF THE PEOPLE (Letters)

Abortion is not the solution

January 23, 2008|By -- Denise Mackura, Thomas More Society

The article "Abortions at 30-year low; Illinois sees large drop: 19% in 5 years" (Page 1, Jan. 17) was informative. But it did not address what touches our hearts and has kept the issue alive and mired in controversy for more than 35 years.

Numbers do not tell us why the abortion debate subverts the American political process and public discourse. We are heading into another trying period -- a presidential election in which abortion will once again play a role, especially because of the power the next president will have over United States Supreme Court nominations.

Abortion remains center stage because, at its core, it is not about numbers or politics. It is about real people: women who often feel trapped by a society that tells them abortion is their only way out ("it's your choice, so it's your problem"). Instead of working to eliminate pregnancy discrimination, domestic violence, poverty and other problems that put women and their families at risk, we pretend that abortion is a solution. It's not.

The problems remain long after the abortion is over. Women don't need abortion, but they do sometimes need the support of family, friends, community and the law. It is interesting to note that in the 35 years since Roe vs. Wade was handed down, none of the legal progress on behalf of women's rights in the home or workplace has been based on Roe.

Increasing access to contraceptives will not stop our national angst over abortion or even lead to lower numbers. In fact, states ranked highest for providing contraceptive services also have some of the highest abortion rates, according to the Guttmacher Institute, the same organization that produced the study on which the Tribune article was based.

The reality is that no one likes abortion, regardless of his or her politics or ideology. It is violent, invasive, unnatural and cruel. We have a nation capable of much courage and compassion, which is exactly what will be needed to find common ground. What we all truly want is to create a world where no one turns to abortion as a solution. Roe vs. Wade should eventually be overruled to return the issue of who belongs in the human family to the American people. In the meantime we can reach out to those in need, work for the protection of both neighbors in every pregnancy and not yield to false comfort from statistics.